Saturday, January 24, 2009

I don't quite know how it evolved into this, but Valentine's Day is now ANOTHER occasion to give teacher's a gift. Don't get me wrong...I'm a teacher, remember? I'm all about getting gifts. However, this is just absurd. But, because I give into peer pressure and want to hang out with the Jones's, I do the Valentine's gifts. Luckily, I have found what I think is a super cheap and pretty easy gift to do every year. When I started working on them, I said to myself, "Self, what better time for a tutorial?!" However, consider yourself forewarned. I'm a bad tutorializer (made up word). I took what I thought was a lot of pictures, but I have no "action" shots. Let's hope my words make up for it. Go out and find the cheapest bottle of hand sanitizer, lotion, or bottled soap that you can find. I was at Target, and I'm pretty sure I could have found something cheaper. I wasn't in the mood to go somewhere else. Hence, the $1.79 hand sanitizer. I like this idea because germs are everywhere when you're a teacher. I keep a keg of this stuff on my desk. Yes, a keg. The hardest part of this whole elaborate project is getting the stickers off the bottle. When you purchase it, make sure there's nothing printed ONTO the bottle. Everything must be removable. Most are, but just check. The bottle on the right is the "cleaned" product. I simply peel it off. Whatever doesn't come off clean gets some Goo-off or Goo-B-Gone on it. Just wipe the oil off with some Windex or something before you move on.

Now for the easy part. Decorate it. I have tried rub-ons, stickers, small tags, and ribbons. You choose!

The one on the right (below) is the first one I did, and I used soap. I have since come to like the sanitizer option better (plus I like that it's a clear bottle), but you can do whatever you like.

So there you have it. A tutorial AND a teacher's gift idea. Maybe you're lucky, and you live in a district where parents don't care about teachers. ;-) If, however, you live in my district, you'll either present that teacher with a V-day gift or be black-listed by all the hot moms in mini-vans! Choose wisely!

I love this. Now, I'm a teacher too. But I don't get gifts from my kids. Not for Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, etc. I teach in a small inner-city school. BUT...I might just make these to give to my colleagues! Thanks for the idea!

VERY cute idea!! Like some of the others that left a comment, my kids are in HS and no longer give teacher gifts. But this idea is just too cute, I may have to make one or two for home. Awww, maybe my desk at work!!

Very cute!! I do live in one of THOSE districts, but I really don't care what the other moms say OR do! I don't let it affect me. I tend to give gifts for no occasion at all, s they know that I really mean it, and just to be a rebel.

{Of course I am normal about Christmas though}

Thanks for the idea! I'll have to try it!.........hmmm maybe St. Patrick's Day...... :)

LOVE the idea! I keep these in my bathroom too. This is the first time I have seen your blog and I just love it. It must be that "teacher" thing that we have in common. I retired a year and a half ago. Keep up the good work! I am going to make some of these this afternoon.

This is a great idea and I am certainly going to steal it! I do not mind giving gifts to Libby's teachers, but she has many. There is the music teacher, the computer teacher, the Spanish teacher, the art teacher, and a few more. It gets a bit crazy. Right after the Valentine party, I begin to think about the class end of the year gift...what is the best you have ever received? I teach, but there are few gifts for college instructors. Mostly we get groans and whining, but that is okay because that means I am making them engage, making them think! ~Kelly

Great idea! Love it. Now mind you I don't need the idea since my son is 13 but boy do I wish you would of been around when he was in grade school! I'm sure you have saved a lot of moms time and $$ and made a lot of teachers HAPPY!

That is a fabulous idea. Our school goes for a whole week of teacher/staff appreciation before Valentine's Day...one day is bring in healthy snack day, one day is for supplies, one for homemade cards, give a hug day, and then the pta does a lunch the other. Can't wait to try this!Thanks

Sooo cute!!! My son's teacher is a total germ-a-phobe. We adore her and embrace her phobia! I love & appreciate that she tries to keep germs at bay in her room. I know what she will be getting for V-day now!!!

Love this idea. Thanks to you,"the tutorializer" for the tutorial :) I am so going to steal this and give one to my kids teacher. Oh wait that would be me since I homeschool, but I will gladly give them to Sunday school teachers.Blessings,Linda

Chris I'm working on mine right now thanks for the great idea. I'm giving them to all the nurses at the nursing home who take care of my aunt with some candy in a basket I'll take a picture when it all gets done. Thanks for the great idea it came at the best time:)julie

Oh, yeah, they are all about the different holidays here. Not only for teachers, but now my kids come home every holiday with goody bags full of stuff from the other kids! That's just a little much for me! This is a great idea, cause I'm all about keeping things germ-free! :) Definitely useful in a school!!

This is precious! I don't have any teachers to buy gifts for and am shocked that Valentine's Day is now a teacher gift holiday. I'll keep this project in mind (and not forget to give teachers Valentine's Day presents when that time comes). Thanks for the heads up! Haha!

SUPER DUPER CUTE! they've actually requested NO teacher gifts at my son's school. you can bring in a goody for the whole staff or a book to add to the library, but no specific holiday gifts to stop the craziness. (of course, i cheat and send "just because gifts cuz i love teachers:)

I work in an inner city school also. I usually get a very few things for Christmas. However, I have three instructional assistants. (Sped.) I may have to give them this with a little something else. Great idea.

Oh my gosh - I did these and I LOVE them! You are a genius. I like doing Valentine's gifts but hate to spend very much, so this was perfect. On the tag, I printed this scripture - "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.Psalm 51:10" I thought the two went well together. Thanks again for a great idea. Actually thanks for ALL your great ideas - I love your blog!

I just fell in love :) I followed you from Tip Junkie and I am loving your blog!! I too am a teacher, but am staying home right now. I CHERISH my son's teachers. I already got them something, but I am doing this too!! AMAZING IDEA!! thanks for sharing!

My 6 year old & I made these for her 3 teachers & she gave it to them yesterday. I was so happy to hear them tell me what a great present & great creative idea.Thanks for posting this & allowing me to touch into a creative side.

New to your blog, but had to post that this is the cutest idea ever. I sat with my girls last night while they created their own decorated hand-sanitizer bottles for their teachers. They loved the activity. With the bottles in hand,they walked proudly into school this morning. Thanks so much for the cheap and cute idea!

This is great!!! I'm a teacher (or was before the babies) in one of those areas where gifts were given for every occasion (can you say, Columbus Day Gift?!?) But a lady only needs so many pads of note paper! This is adorable, from the heart, AND useful! Great, Great Idea!!

Love it! I'm a teacher, too. Taught K-2nd before having the babies and now I teach college on the side. In my last district, they were always doing stuff for teachers. We had to fill out these forms with all sorts of information about what we liked--perfumes, other scents, favorite colors, favorite candles, favorite restaurants, kitchen colors, one or two big items we'd love to get for our classroom, etc. It was a very wealthy district and my parents were amazing. They usually took up a collection and bought things off the list they gathered at the beginning of the year, but I almost always ended up with a large pile of extra "stuff." Your gift idea is wonderful because, not only is it handmade, but SOOOO useful. Thanks! Oh, and happy SITS day!

OH MY GOSH! Those are so cute and such a great idea. At my kids' school, they collect for a "class gift" but I like to still give the teacher a little something that shows we were thinking of her. THESE ARE PERFECT and I'm DEFINITELY stealing this idea. You're so creative!